Sample paper · GCSE Foundation · grades 1–5
GCSE Foundation sample Paper 1 (non-calculator)
The real Paper 1 is 1.5 hour 30 minutes and 80 marks, non-calculator, and all three papers carry equal weight. This sample is 20 original questions in the same content proportions as the Foundation qualification — number 25%, algebra 20%, ratio, proportion and rates of change 25%, geometry and measures 15%, probability 7.5%, statistics 7.5% — with no calculator-only items. AO1 / AO2 / AO3 at this tier: 50% / 25% / 25%.
Non-calculatorGCSE Foundation
GCSE Foundation sample Paper 1 (non-calculator)
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- 1.Oliver drives 95 km at an average speed of 50 km/h. Work out an estimate for the time the journey takes, by rounding the distance to the nearest 100 km.
- 2.n = 3. Work out the value of (2n)².
- 3.For the pairs x = 6, y = 15 and x = 10, y = 25, which statement is correct?
- 4.A conservatory has a roof panel shaped like a regular octagon. Work out the interior angle of the octagon, then use it to work out the size of the reflex angle at the same vertex, on the outside of the roof panel.
- 5.A fair six-sided dice is rolled 300 times. Work out how many more times you would expect it to land on an even number than on a six.
- 6.A scatter graph plots the number of years, x, that 20 employees have worked at a company against their salary, y. All the plotted points lie between x = 1 and x = 15. Write down the word used to describe an estimate for y made using a value of x that lies between 1 and 15.
- 7.Write these numbers in order, starting with the smallest: −1.4, 5/4, −6/5, 1.3, 0
- 8.Which expression is equivalent to 6x − (2x − 5)?
- 9.Butter costs £2.40 per kg. Work out the cost of the butter in pence per 100 g.
- 10.A circle is drawn on a page. Write down how many radii can be drawn in the circle.
- 11.At a gym, 70 members are asked whether they use the pool or the sauna. 38 use the pool, 30 use the sauna, and 12 use neither. Work out n(P ∩ S), the number of members who use both the pool and the sauna.
- 12.A pizza is cut into 12 equal slices. Ben eats 5 slices and Mia eats 3 slices. What fraction of the pizza is left, giving your answer in its simplest form?
- 13.A ramp rises 3 m over a horizontal distance of 12 m. Work out the gradient of the ramp.
- 14.5 decorators paint 3 rooms in 6 hours. All the decorators work at the same rate. Work out how long it takes 10 decorators to paint 5 rooms.
- 15.Two sides of a triangle are 20 cm and 8 cm long. Write down which one of these lengths is possible for the third side.
- 16.A semicircle has a diameter of 8 cm. Work out the exact area of the semicircle, in terms of π.
- 17.Which of these equations gives a graph with two separate curved branches — one where x and y are both positive, and one where x and y are both negative?
- 18.Noah runs 2 km in 10 minutes. Work out how long he takes to run 5 km at the same speed.
- 19.A block of butter has a mass of 250 g, correct to the nearest 10 g. Using m for the mass of the block in grams, write down the error interval for m.
- 20.Write the ratio 6a : 9a in its simplest form, where a is a positive number.
How the 20 questions are shared out
- Number — 5 questions (25% of the qualification)
- Algebra — 4 questions (20% of the qualification)
- Ratio, proportion and rates of change — 5 questions (25% of the qualification)
- Geometry and measures — 3 questions (15% of the qualification)
- Probability — 2 questions (7.5% of the qualification)
- Statistics — 1 question (7.5% of the qualification)
Where an area has fewer printable questions than its share, the shortfall is filled from the other areas. These are original questions, not past papers.